From Self-Reliance to Shared Life
Letting go of self-reliance is a reset that frees the life of Jesus to run the whole system.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven on Earth by A. B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash
A. B. Simpson points us to a hard mercy that becomes a glad relief. We begin life in the natural. We lean on our own plans, our own character, our own resolve. Then the Lord, in kindness and care, lets the props of self-confidence give way so that we discover our need for something more than better habits. Simpson says this collapse is not the end. It is the doorway into the life of Jesus within us.
He gives Peter as a living illustration. Peter’s strength seemed sturdy until the night it failed. That fall did not finish him. It finished the illusion that he could carry himself. In the ashes of self-reliance, Jesus raised him to walk by Another’s life. That same exchange is offered to us. We put off the old habits of managing ourselves through self-effort and self-suffcieincy, and we live as those joined to the Living Head.
Simpson’s emphasis is not a call to grim striving. It is a call to abide. In union with Jesus, obedience flows from life, not from fear. We are not trying to earn access to God’s gifts. We are resting in the One in whom all the fullness of God dwells. In this shared life, the spiritual comes first, then the natural is added in its right place. We can enjoy earthly blessings without being ruled by them because our center is Jesus, not ourselves. Friends, Simpson’s insight right there is priceless.
Thank You, Lord, for the clarity Simpson brings. His words help us name what many of us know by experience. When my own righteousness crumbles, You are not shaming me. You are freeing me to live from the life I already have in Christ. This is not loss. This is gain. It is the end of anxious self-improvement and the beginning of steady dependence on the indwelling Spirit.
Journal Entry - Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, I brought you from the natural into the spiritual so you would share My life, not polish your own. In My Son you were crucified to the old way of living and raised to walk in newness of life. I have placed you in Him as a member in His body. He is your Head, and His fullness is your portion.
Do not rebuild the confidence that once collapsed. I am at work in you to will and to do My good pleasure. Abide in Me and you will bear fruit that lasts. When your strength reaches its limit, remember that you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. There is no condemnation for you. The Spirit of life has set you free.
Obedience is better than sacrifice because obedience is the overflow of our union. I lead you, I empower you, and I express the life of Jesus through you. Set your mind on things above. Count yourself dead to sin and alive to Me. As you yield, I supply. As you trust, I act.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 15:46; Luke 22:31-34; John 21:15-19; Romans 6:1-14; Galatians 2:20; John 15:4-5; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 2:9-10; Colossians 3:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1-4; Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 5:10; Hebrews 12:11; 1 Samuel 15:22.
Real-Life Analogy
Think about a smartphone that has grown sluggish. Too many background processes are competing, screens freeze, and the battery drains fast. A full reset clears the clutter and restores the phone to the maker’s intended operating system. It does not add a new processor. It simply removes what choked the life already inside so the phone can run as designed.
In the same way, when I notice old patterns flaring up, instead of tightening my grip, I can quietly say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life in me and through me right here as I let the old scripts go.” Facing a tense conversation, a tempting shortcut, or a wave of self-criticism, I yield the moment to Him and expect His life to show up in patience, honesty, and peace.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that I have moved from the natural to the spiritual by union with Jesus. I rejoice that the old self-life was crucified with Him, and that I now live from His risen life. You have already given me everything I need for life and godliness. I rest in Your indwelling presence, and I trust You to express Your life through me today.